Building the Brooder

So around the beginning March we started working on our brooder.  Actually it can be so much more than a brooder for the baby chicks.  We designed it with the idea in mind of being a brooder, a hen hospital or quarantine, a breeder box and even a small grow out pen for another bird project I have in mind.  So we looked online at a lot of designs and read a lot about brooders.  We ended up going big.  I have to say one thing...chicken math!  For those that are not familiar with chicken math, it goes like this...if you think you want 6 chickens, you will probably end up with at least 9.  Don't know how it happens, it just does...one of those strange phenomena of the universe.  

So off to the home store to buy supplies.  Okay, I must be honest.  I was at first considering painting some cutesy flowers or some kind of scene, but then decided against it at the last minute.  Trust me, I did go look at paint chips.  

Even Alex got in on helping and learned a thing or two and even made some suggestions of his own.  I love family projects.  Here a few pictures of the brooder build in progress.  

The start of the build.

Alex getting in on some power tool action. 

We added two doors and made it so we can divide the brooder in two we needed. 

 

 

 

 

 

Here it is covered in the hardware cloth, much more durable and predator proof than chicken wire.

We built this for the long term, we also made it cat and dog proof, which in turn pretty much makes it capable of being outside and safe from other predators.  I don't know as if it will ever be outside as a brooder, but you never know. At this point we were not fully sure if it was going to be in the garage or in our unfinished basement.  So much to consider as far as pros and cons of each location.

We wrapped the brooder with hardware cloth, and Kevin installed latches and hooks to hold the doors open.  It is done.  One afternoon Kevin and his daughter moved it to a corner of our basement.  After much thought we decided that we needed the temperature to stay relatively constant and we would not have that in the garage with the doors being opened and closed several times a day.  I was not home when they moved it, but wish I was so I could have snapped a few pictures of the move.  

Now having it in the basement is kinda like having a nursery ready for a baby...it is all in the waiting.  So it was down there for a few days and then I got it all set up with some bedding, the puppy pads, heater and the food and water founts.  I have to admit I found myself down there a few times dreaming about what they would like in their new little home.  I had been reading about how much dust and dander chicks can generate, so we decided to block off a room so to speak around the brooder.  Because our basement is unfinished and there are only a  few walls in place we hung sheets in a semi-circle around the brooder.  This will help keep everything contained and should make for an easy clean up when they are done in the brooder.  

Here is a quick little video of the final set up before they chicks arrive.....I can't wait!!!

 

The video is a little cockeyed...gotta love cell phones!  

Chicken Scratch, Chapter Five

Wow, so much has been happening with the chickens.  Seems for a while it was like I was losing one a week, but we finally got through that and have had a loss free week. 

The girls have been spending a lot of time out and about when the wind is not howling.  I love watching them free range out on the prairie and enjoy their antics.  I had been saving some scraps from some steak, salad and left overs from a night out for dinner...I presented this to them on Valentines Day for breakfast and they were so excited about the meat.  I love watching them play with a piece of meat...running from place to place attempting to keep it from another hen.  It is quite comical.  I used to think watching them eat watermelon was the best, but by far a piece of meat or fat is more entertaining. 

Today I added another decoration to their coop.  A lovely welcome sign featuring a very handsome rooster.  This was a Valentines gift from my folks.  I think it looks quite lovely hanging on their mirror in  Cluckingham Palace.  I am sure they love the eye candy. 

So currently there are 29 girls in my flock, with the day old chicks due to arrive next month.  I can't wait to see them.  It is odd however to think about the fact that even as of today the eggs for my chicks have not even been layed yet!  Really does make me think about counting my chickens before they hatch! 

Chicken Scratch, Chapter Four

It is with a sad and heavy heart that I write Chapter Four.  I have lost another girl.  

      Yesterday when I came home from being gone overnight my husband informed me that Cruella was under the Coop DeVille and was not doing well.  He said she her comb was white and she was all fluffed up with her tail at half mast.  I immediately went to go check her out, she was indeed pale and not in good condition at all.  She is one of the few girls that knows her name and as soon as she saw me and I said her name she kind of perked up and looked at me as if I was her momma.  I crawled under the coop and gathered her up.  She just went limp in my arms.  I have never seen any of my girls so pale. 

     Cruella is by far my biggest girl and quite heavy, but so gentle and sweet.  While being the largest girl, she was far from the top of the pecking order.  She enjoyed being held and sitting on my lap.  One time she even pulled little Rosa down off my lap by her tail feathers and promptly jumped onto my lap.  Kind of like a jealous puppy.  

       So we took her up to the garage to my chicken hospital.  Gave her a physical and got her settled into the kennel.  I had a few ideas, but nothing concrete.  She did a have bumblefoot, and a sore near her vent.  She spent the night in the kennel and seemed to be better this morning.  This morning I had to try to force her to drink and to eat, but she wanted nothing to do with that.  I was sad, but she did seem to have perked up a bit.  I checked on her several times today, but started to become more and more concerned that she had either an egg stuck in her or had one break inside of here.  Around three I went to check on her again and her comb seemed like it was getting more pink and she seemed more alert.  I held her for a while and petted her, she is such a sweet girl, even though I know she was not feeling well, she just looked at me with the sweetest eyes.  Again, I tried to get her to eat and drink, but she refused.  She settled down again near the heat lamp, obviously weak.  I was feeling a bit hopeful and decided that she physically looked better than she did yesterday.  

    Not more than an hour later Alex came home and told me that when we walked through the garage she was dead.  My heart just sank.  I ran to the garage and sure enough she was dead.  I find consolation in the fact that she is not suffering.  It still hurts and I hate to see any of my girls die like this.  She was young, less than a year.  Upon further inspection of her body (yes, I always check them out after they die, this helps me learn) I noticed more odd colored discharge from her vent.  Upon closer inspection I discovered what appeared to be egg inside of her.  Looked like she had an egg break inside of her.  This can cause them to become quite sick very fast, and sadly there is not a lot you can do in this situation.  

    I am still amazed how much I have learned and continue to learn from my girls.  It only stands to reason with the number and ages of the girls that I have that I will continue to experience a full range of emergencies and ailments.  It is part of raising them.  I never ever imagined the deep feelings I could develop for a chicken.  It know it may be hard for some people to understand, but it is what it is for me.  I find great joy in keeping them, watching them grow, seeing the personality emerge and collecting their eggs.  


    On a lighter note, I still have three that are broody on and off, they crack  me up and I enjoy listening to them coo and chatter back and forth as they sit in the boxes.  And it is with a happy heart that I think about the babies that will be here in March. 

RIP Cruella

    

Chicken Scratch, Chapter Three

     So I have been dealing with one broody hen after another since about the end of November.  The poor girls, they pluck their bellies smooth and just sit and sit in the boxes.  I was just about to get some fertilized eggs from my neighbor and give her them to hatch out.  Right before I was about to get the eggs, she quit. So then it was on to Onyx, she was only broody for about 9 days, but still plucked her belly clean.  Silly girls, it has to be cold with this wind and weather we have been having.  So now it is Naked Neck Nancy, and she is in full broodiness.  She is such a sweet little girl and gives me the saddest looks when I take the eggs out from under her.  Breaks my heart to take that mothering opportunity away from them.  I just don't want roosters and hatching eggs brings on the possibility of having roosters. 

    I have to say that we are also working on expanding the hen yard to make room for the new babies that will be arriving in March.  I am super excited to have babies, something totally new for our home.  Last year when we started with the chickens I bought the existing flock and the pullets that were way out of the baby stage.  Can't wait to have some little fuzzy babies here.  I will keep you posted!